The nights have been long this past week; LP has entered a phase (hopefully a short phase) of waking up around 12:30 screaming.
The first two nights, it seemed to be night terrors connected to a mask she was fascinated by at a Mexican restaurant. The next night was a mystery. The next two nights seemed to be because I wasn’t home at bedtime (for the first time in a loooong time, too looong a time). And the last two nights have been because she is trying to drive me over the edge (not far to go right now, the sleep deprivation is severe). Is it a new habit? More night terrors? Teething? Growing pains? A mysterious phase that will work itself out because that is what happens…things change and change and change.
LP & I did work through the mask fear by using stories. (During the day, storytelling did nothing for us in the middle of the night.)
Over 2-3 days, most of the stories we told together were about the mask. Some were in passing, some were sitting down and focused and some were while sculpting masks out of sand at the playground.
The mask was described again and again (green with big eyes and a red tongue sticking out); the mask made friends with Gumby (they do have being green in common) and a frog (hmmm…more green, I’m sensing a theme in LP’s life), AND then the mask learned the dreidel song and sang it with LP (“I have a little dreidel, I made it out of clay…”). Learning the dreidel song seemed to be the thing that put her fears about the mask to rest.
Maybe someone could do some stories with me to work out my fear of never getting enough sleep?
Do you think she needs to have the masks put into some kind of context? Maybe she needs to know that people wear the masks and have a party with music and yummy food. There are nice people behind the masks and that the masks are fun to make and wear. Here’s a link to masks for kids: http://store.doverpublications.com/0486405826.htmlJust a thought!! TH
Do you think she needs to have the masks put into some kind of context? Maybe she needs to know that people wear the masks and have a party with music and yummy food. There are nice people behind the masks and that the masks are fun to make and wear. Here’s a link to masks for kids: http://store.doverpublications.com/0486405826.htmlJust a thought!!
Context would be helpful, I’m sure! I think I’ll try a mask-making project for us and some of her stuffed friends. Thanks Trina – great idea!